Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The Mississippi commissioner of public safety says he will retire Jan. 31.

Albert Santa Cruz has worked in law enforcement 43 years and has been the head of the state Department of Public Safety for five years.

Republican Gov. Phil Bryant will choose a successor.

The Department of Public Safety includes the Highway Patrol, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and the state Office of Homeland Security.

Under Santa Cruz's tenure, the department has upgraded its driver's license system and improved the state Crime Lab. But, it has also been beset by legal problems.

Earlier this year, the Bureau of Narcotics settled a sexual harassment lawsuit and the Office of Homeland Security settled a sex discrimination lawsuit. Both were filed by former employees.